It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
